Virtual receptionist in Laredo, TX: cost vs in-house
Laredo is a lower-cost market for virtual receptionists: the median of $29,140 a year1 is 17.2% below the Texas statewide median of $35,210, and 23.3% below the US median of $38,010. Only 3 of 521 US areas pay less for this job. BLS counts about 630 people in this job here.
BLS occupation 43-4171, area Laredo, TX. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Laredo against Texas and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laredo, TX | $20,970 | $29,140 | $38,100 | |
| Texas | $24,700 | $35,210 | $47,380 | |
| United States | $28,760 | $38,010 | $49,950 |
The middle half of virtual receptionists in Laredo earns $23,870–$34,380. The top tenth earns $38,100 or more, 1.8 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 1.7 times. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $10,510 wide, against $11,050 across Texas and $11,170 nationally: employers in Laredo pay within a narrower band.
What to budget for a virtual receptionist here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $20,970 | $1,748 | $10.08 | $27,058 |
| 25th percentile | $23,870 | $1,989 | $11.48 | $30,800 |
| Median | $29,140 | $2,428 | $14.01 | $37,600 |
| 75th percentile | $34,380 | $2,865 | $16.53 | $44,361 |
| 90th percentile | $38,100 | $3,175 | $18.32 | $49,161 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $5,270 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $5,240, or about $6,761 once benefits are added. These percentiles describe what people in the job earn locally, not experience levels, so place your offer by the tasks and seniority you need.
For scale, the US median of $38,010 falls between the 75th and 90th percentiles in Laredo, and the Texas statewide median of $35,210 falls there too. An offer at the national rate would beat what three quarters of local virtual receptionists earn.
What a hire really costs in Laredo
Pay is only part of it. Benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, which adds about $8,460 to the $29,140 median and brings it to $37,600 a year. Recruiting, equipment and office space come on top. Benefit levels vary by employer, so treat this as an estimate.
We place executive assistants, customer support and e-commerce staff today; for virtual receptionists we answer within one business day whether we can help. Enter the monthly pay you have in mind to compare it with a local hire. The fee field shows our standard fee3; Deel's contractor plan is the default payroll tool4.
Other roles in Laredo
Virtual receptionists have the lowest median of the 17 roles we track in Laredo; project coordinators have the highest, at $72,530.
| Role | Median | vs virtual receptionist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| E-commerce Order Specialist | +22.4% | 40 | |
| HR Assistant | +21.1% | 30 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | +18.1% | 2,060 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | +4.2% | 360 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | this role | 630 |
Measured against the US median, virtual receptionists rank #7 of the 17 roles we track in Laredo (-23.3%), between customer support specialists (-23.1%) and executive assistants (-23.6%). The typical role here is at -24.2%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Virtual receptionists hold 6.0% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Laredo, 5.0% across Texas and 5.7% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in Texas
Across the 32 areas of Texas with data for this job, the median runs from $28,530 in McAllen-Edinburg to $37,280 in Midland, a gap of $8,750 a year. Of the 20 areas in Texas with more virtual receptionists than Laredo, 2 pay less: McAllen-Edinburg, TX ($28,530) and Brownsville-Harlingen, TX ($28,720).
| Area | Median | vs Laredo | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abilene, TX | +5.3% | 450 | |
| Texarkana, TX-AR | +4.6% | 340 | |
| El Paso, TX | +1.1% | 1,950 | |
| Eagle Pass, TX | +0.7% | 90 | |
| Laredo, TX | this area | 630 | |
| Brownsville-Harlingen, TX | -1.4% | 1,070 | |
| McAllen-Edinburg, TX | -2.1% | 1,780 |
Laredo against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Laredo is #264 of 521 US areas for this job. It is a mid-sized market, and its pay is in the bottom quarter of US areas. No metro area outside Texas pays virtual receptionists less than Laredo; the table shows the next lowest outside Texas. Of the three markets with about as many virtual receptionists, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Laredo | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Janesville-Beloit, WI | +32.6% | 640 | jobs | |
| Fort Smith, AR-OK | +16.7% | 630 | jobs | |
| Las Cruces, NM | +14.2% | 620 | jobs | |
| Lafayette, LA | +3.5% | 1,180 | pay | |
| Dothan, AL | +3.2% | 400 | pay | |
| Hattiesburg, MS | +2.4% | 480 | pay | |
| Gadsden, AL | +1.1% | 180 | pay | |
| Laredo, TX | this area | 630 |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a virtual receptionist in Laredo, TX?
About $37,600 a year at the median, or $3,133 a month: $29,140 in pay plus about $8,460 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do virtual receptionists earn in Laredo?
Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $29,140 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $20,970, the 90th $38,100, and the middle half earned $23,870 to $34,380.
Is Laredo cheaper than the rest of Texas for virtual receptionists?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $29,140 against $35,210 statewide. The next area up in Texas is Eagle Pass at $29,340, the next down Brownsville-Harlingen at $28,720.
How many virtual receptionists work in Laredo?
BLS counts about 630 in the May 2025 survey. 20 areas in Texas have more; the closest in size is the Eastern Region of Texas nonmetro area, with about 640.
Does a virtual receptionist cost more than a data entry specialist in Laredo?
No: $1,220 a year less at the median. The medians are $29,140 and $30,360.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 43-4171: bls.gov
- BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: bls.gov
- Stafka pricing: stafka.com
- Deel pricing, contractor management: deel.com
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.